With Beebe gone, Darr signs secret gun list bill

LITTLE ROCK  A bill shielding from the public the identities of 130,000 Arkansas residents permitted to carry concealed handguns was signed into law Friday by Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Darr while Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe was out of state.

The move, which immediately makes the list exempt from Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act, comes a day after Beebe said he would allow the measure to go into law without his signature on Monday despite his opposition. Beebe was in Washington on Friday for the National Governors Association’s winter meeting.

“Having been an outspoken advocate for Second Amendment rights, I felt passionately that there should be no delays in signing this bill into law,” Darr said in a statement issued by his office.

A spokesman for Beebe did not immediately return a call Friday.

Arkansas law had already exempted all but the names and ZIP codes of concealed carry permit holders from release under a compromise struck between lawmakers and media organizations in 2009. Beebe said he was opposed to the proposal because it went against that compromise, but decided against vetoing it because of the overwhelming support it had in both chambers.

Overriding a veto takes a simple majority in Arkansas, and Republicans control both chambers of the Legislature. Governors in the past have allowed measures to go into law without their signature as a way to show their objection without vetoing bills.

Sen. Bruce Holland, R-Greenwood, proposed making the entire list secret in response to a New York newspaper’s decision to publish the names and addresses of concealed carry permit holders following December’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., that killed 20 children and 6 adults.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 23 total comments

This is undemocratic. Hiding from the public is the mark of tyrants, has been throughout history. These people are going backwards and passing silly, goofy legislation and now trying to cover their tracks.

print my name, i don't care that anyone knows i have a conceal carry permit. my roomate in college had a sign over our apartment door. this apartment guarded by shotgun 3 nights a week, you guess which 3.

Arkansas is fifth most religious state in the US.As of 2012, the child poverty rate in Arkansas was an average of 26.8 percent, and ranked as the second worst in the U.S.Arkansas ranks 4th in Teen Birth Rate per 1,000 Population Ages 15-19, 2010.As of 2005 Arkansas ranked 14th in infant mortality rate.In 2011 Arkansas ranked 9th in adult obesity ratesThe South has the highest percentage of people who are too heavy.In 2007 Arkansas ranked 6th in the Nation of states with the most obese children, we tied with Texas.Arkansas ranked 45th in 2011 on per capita income.Texas ranked 32nd in per capita income.Arkansas ranks 38th in spending per student at just more than $10,000Ahead of Texas with $8,746.Can you believe we beat Texas?Arkansas ranks 6th out of the 10 states where the most people go hungary.My Question is what are all these Christians doing to elevate these conditions?Guess what 3 abortion bills, soon to be 4 gun bills

I think I figured this out. If you don't vote for who inquire does you are ignorant, and it is the banks' fault when people buy more house than they can afford UNLESS they are a conservative. I wonder if his house had a basement?

National Inquire, why do you laugh when a Republican loses his house, but a democrat that used his houses equity like an ATM loses his house, he needs a government assistance refinancing with reduced principle compliments of the taxpayers. And I thought you cared National, I really did.